Rail-anchor.



F. A. PRESTON.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 17, I916.

.1 ,21 9,771. Patented Mar. 20, 191-7.

' clear, concise,

how the FFTQE,

FREDERICK AfPRESTON, OF HIGHLAND PARK,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE P. 8c M. (30.,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,518.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. PRES- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rail- Anchors, of which the following is a full,

and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rail anchors or anti-creepers.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character which shall not only efi'ectively grip the rail base but which cannot loosen its hold thereon, even if the creeping thrust is reversed in direction.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a simple and practical embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the anticreeper with part ofthe rail shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the rail and anti-creeper.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing rail anchor is applied to the rail.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the anticreeper.

The device in the preferred form is made of a flat piece of spring steel arranged to gr1p the rail 1 which rail is supported on the usual cross tie 2. The body of the anticreeper 3 is al ranged substantially transversely with respect to the rail base. It has a jaw 4 at one end, the opposite end being bent to form a hook 5, having two jaws 6, 7 notched therein. The end of the book 8 constitutes a tie abutting flange and is extended downwardly somewhat below the cross bar 3.

In applying the anchor to the rail. the jaw 4 is first applied to one side thereof as shown in Fig. 3. The other end is then raised to fit the jaws 6, 7 over the opposite side of the rail base. A small abutment or projection 9 is formed near one end of the bar 3 on the upper surface thereof, in view of which it is necessary to spring the cross bar 3 in order to lift the end carrying the jaws 6, 7 high enough to permit the latter to engage the rail base. A claw bar 10 may be conveniently used for this purpose. The upper walls, are inclined or wedge shaped, whereby the anti-creeper may be raised if sufiicient force maining features.

11 and 12, of the jaws 6, 7-

is applied thereto until the edge of the rail base snaps into the notches or jaws 6, 7. The distance from the point just above said aws to the vertical wall of the opposite jaw 4 is slightly less than the width of the rail base, whereby it is necessary to distort the rail anchor in order to position it on the rail base. 'As shown in Fig. 2 the point of engagement between the jaw 4 and the rail base is on a line between the points of engagement of the jaws 6, 7 with the opposite sides thereof. Accordingly the cross bar 3 inclines slightly instead of being exactly at right angles to.the length of the rail. the interval that the claw bar is being used, the hook 5 is straightened out slightly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, thereby permitting the jaw 7 to more readily snap over the rail base and increasing slightly the effective distance between thejaw 6 and the jaw 4 by permitting the cross bar 3 to assume a position at right angles to the length of the rail.

.After the rail anchor During has been a o lied however its Josition on the V rail is substantially as shown in Fig. 2, in which case it will be seen that a skewing of the rail anchor in either direction will increase its grip on the rail base. Accordingly, no movement of the rail or of the rail anchor can result in loosening the grip of the latter on the rail base. Duri g the ordinary creep-- ing movement of the rail in the direction indicated by move towardthe tie. If the trafiic reverses in direction and the rail withdraws the rail anchor from contact with the tie, the grip would not be lessened even if the tie abutting flange should be frozen in the ballast, since the skewing tendency of the anchor would tend to decrease the distance between the jaw 7 and the jaw 4.

It is apparent that all of the features de scribed herein need not be embodied in a single rail anchor, as certain advantages may be obtained by the use of one feature but without necessarily including also the re- Furthermore, I do not limit myself to the structural details described and illustrated, as various other forms may be devised which fall within the scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, what the arrow, the jaw t tends to p arranged flat steel bar having a jaW at each end. thereof so disposed as to require the rail anchor to be sprung in applying it to the rail base, the upper surface of one of said jaws being inclined to aid in applying the anchor.

2. A rail anchor comprising a spring steel member, having a rail gripping jaw at one end and having the other end bent around forming an extension which constitutes a tie abutment, a pair of jaws one at each side of said bend and an inclined surface above each jaw, Which surfaces are crowded against the side of the rail base when the rail anchor is being positioned.

8. A rail anchor comprising a tension member having a rail-engaging jaw at one end, the other end of said member being bowed to form a plurality of rail-engaging jaws, said latter aws being adapted to be sprung into position.

4. A rail anchor comprising a spring steel member, having a rail gripping jaw at one end and a plurality of jaws at the other end, an inclined surface above each of said lastmentioned jaws, Which'surfaces are wedged against the sides of the rail base when the anchor is being sprung into position. I

5. A rail anchor comprising a transverse element, having a vertical abutment at each end thereof, a plurality of inclined surfaces above one of said abutments constituting a wedge, and a shoulder at the lower end of each of said surfaces to prevent displacement of the rail anchor.

6. A rail anchor comprising a spring steel member having a 'jaW at one end and a bowed portion at the other end, said bowed portion providing a plurality of rail abut ments, inclined surfaces above said abutments, and means whereby said anchor is tensioned when sprung into position on the rail.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of April A. 1)., 1916.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON. 

